Heist of Gravity
by FlamingDagger711
Summary: Basically the crew's on a new heist, but they need one more person for it to work. Simon's friend is the prime candidate, but she's got a few surprises up her sleeve.
1. Simon's friend

They stood outside the door, waiting and nervous. If this contact of Simon wouldn't help them, or turned them in, they were doomed. Of course, not one of them showed their unease and anxiety. Even Simon seemed calm as he stepped up to the door, confident that his 'friend' would help.

Kat and the rest of her crew stood behind the enormous potted plants that were placed in the middle of the hallway, shrouded in their shadows. Kat wondered idly what they were doing in the middle of the corridor (the plants, not the crew). She held her breath as Simon rang the doorbell.

The door swung open. A short Asian girl with muscular arms and who, despite her height, was imposing was revealed. She had black hair that framed a slightly round face, and couldn't have been more than thirteen.

"Who's there and what do you want? Simon?" she blinked as she saw who was standing there.

"Joelle, hey. I was wondering if you could help me…" Simon said, but the girl, Joelle, cut him off.

"You mean us? I can see them you know. Anyway why do want me? You said you could hack…it's a job, isn't it," the girl peered over Simon's shoulder, looked at the others. Kat stepped out from behind her cover, a _very lousy_ cover, she reminded herself. It was no wonder Joelle had seen them.

"I'm Kat. This is Hale, Gabrielle, the two brothers Hamish and Angus, and that's… Nick," Kat raised her eyebrows as Nick appeared at the end of the hallway.

"You're late," Hale quipped. Nick ignored him.

"Anyways, do come in. Wouldn't want you in the corridor where everyone can see you, eh?" Joelle laughed as Gabrielle's eyes flickered uneasily to the security cameras in the corner. "I monitor those cameras, no one else. Come on in!"

Kat stepped warily into the flat. This was in contrary to Simon, who plopped on to the couch as if he owned the place. Kat's eyes were immediately drawn to the small pile of wallets, passports and phones on the table. She looked at Simon and gestured.

"She's kind of a pocket girl. A-and a hacker," Simon admitted. "She's okay."

"I just started on the pockets. I was hoping to learn. It's always good to have extra money and IDs. So Kat," she started, but then her eyes widened. "Wait, not _the_ Kat? Katarina Bishop? The girl who organized the Henley operation! YOU'RE the Henley crew!" she exclaimed, then glared at Simon.

"Sorry," Simon shrugged. Kat frowned as Joelle scowled.

"Simon," Kat addressed the small boy. "We've got a pocket man," she risked a glance at Nick, "and you are our resident hacker. Why do you want Joelle on this?"

Simon opened his mouth but Joelle cut him off.

"Did I mention I only dabbled in those fields?"

"She specializes in…" Simon cut in, but was interrupted( again) when Joelle, with her hands holding a strange device, precede to walk up the wall.


	2. Defying Gravity

Looking at the girl on the wall, Kat couldn't help but approve when she said calmly and without a trace of panic,

"I'm going to fall in four seconds."

Joelle put the device in her pocket and flipped. Landing unsteadily on her feet, she stumbled.

"You've got to work on your landings," Kat said. Joelle glanced up and nodded, hanging on to Kat's every word.

"So, what _is_ she good at, Simon? How can someone who knows how to be Spiderman help us, exactly?" Hale asked. Kat could hear the impatience in his voice. She levelled a glare in his direction, met his gaze and saw in his eyes, not just impatience but desperation and fear.

"Joelle invents. Not just electronics but non-electronics too. And she's fast."

"And what heist exactly would require any of my skills?" Joelle's eyes brightened. "Rumour has it that you guys also stole the Anthony Emerald. Is that _true_?" admiration and awe coloured her voice. An idolizing light entered her eyes.

"First of all, it was the Cleopatra," Gabrielle informed her coolly. Then the goddess smiled and said,

"Second of all, I like you, kid. You seem fresh. Doesn't she seem fresh?" Gabrielle turned to her cousin. Kat watched as Joelle's dark eyes widened from the compliment as they took in Gabrielle's glamorous form.

"The heist," Angus started, but Hamish finished,

"Is big, love. One that an awesome pair of wall-walking boots isn't really necessary…" he trailed off with a lilt to his voice and glanced at Simon. The question hung unspoken in the air between them. Joelle scoffed.

"That's not all she's got, you know. But I also think she should come because of her knowledge of Hong Kong," Simon shrugged. Hale frowned.

"You could have kept that a secret, Simon," Hale hissed, but Joelle spoke up.

"I won't do it."

Kat felt her sinking dismay. She glanced at Hale and they exchanged wordless worries. Simon had promised them the kid would love the job. Why did she turn it down? Had he been wrong? Would she help?

"You won't see anyone, Joelle," Simon stuttered, his confident mask breaking. Joelle just gave him a frosty glare.

"We could work with seven," Angus suggested softly, "we'd be shorthanded but it could work…"

"It's eight or nothing," Hale growled. He glared at Joelle.

"What _is_ the job? Is it worth it?" Joelle looked at Simon. Kat thought he nodded just a little bit too enthusiastically.

"Should we tell her?" Nick looked around the room, but mostly his eyes stayed on Kat. She avoided his gaze and looked at Hale instead. He looked… lost. That was the only word for his expression.

Out of the corner of her eye, Gabrielle and Angus both shook their heads.

"We're robbing a few art exhibits in the city. Small jobs building up to a big job. We'll need the navigation and Hale's no good," Hamish suddenly said. Hale cleared his throat sharply and glared. Kat felt giddy.

"Sorry Hale, but Hamish is right. Owning a flat there doesn't mean you know the city. Anyways we're going to steal a Monet, maybe a Degas. And here's the thing, Joelle," Simon turned to her. He took a deep breath. His shoulders shook.

"We're going to get _your_ painting back."


	3. Leaving on a jet plane

Hale looked out the jet's windows and sighed softly, careful not the wake the sleeping Kat who had her head on his shoulder. Slowly, he turned his head to survey the room.

Gabrielle was sitting with Simon, they were playing cards. Hamish and Angus were looking over the blueprints of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, debating in which places should they set the smoke bombs. Nick was listening to music on his iPod, and the new kid, Joelle was reading a book written in a language he couldn't understand. Finally, his eyes rested upon the girl by his side.

Her hair framed her face beautifully, and her blouse fitted her in _just_ the right places… Hale felt his blood rush to his face. Instead of scrutinizing his girlfriend again, he diverted his mind to his plan. Not the plan to get the paintings, oh no, the genius mind of Kat's had already done that; the plans ricocheting through his head was all about the meeting.

The meeting. He knew that keeping it in the dark from Kat was going to be very hard. Simon, Gabrielle, Nick and Joelle could not find out either. Meeting Arturo Taccone again would _not_ be the highlight of his day.

But Hamish and Angus had asked for his help, and he would help them.

Kat stirred, and then stretched. She glanced at Hale and smiled, but there was a worried light behind it.

"Morning, Hale. Or should I say," she corrected as she peered out the window, "good afternoon."

"We're nearly there, babe. Ready to start the day with a little bang?" Hale's eyes darted towards the Bagshaws.

"I was born ready, honey," Kat smirked. Hale opened his mouth to say something witty, but was interrupted by the rising voices of the Bagshaws.

"So, as I was saying, the smoke should be coming out from the floor vents, that way it'll look as if the heating system's gone amok –"

"No the smoke bomb has to go off in the air vents! Then the people will think that the air-con's gotten haywire!"

"Stupid, it's spring! Spring in the city's cold!"

"No, it's already warm! Joelle, tell my brother he's wrong!"

Joelle didn't miss a beat as she said,

"Check the weather report. Any day with an average temperature above 26 degrees and the air con's going on. If the average is below 18 degrees the heaters your man."

Gabrielle gave a tinkling laugh as Angus and Hamish both dived for the computer on Simon's lap. Simon howled as Hamish's full weight landed on top of him. Or maybe it was because Angus had stepped on his foot…

Nick watched the scene unfold with amusement. Hale found his old irritation for Nick rising to the surface without warning.

"Are you ready, new kid? You know, this job isn't exactly easy."

"First of all, Sir Hale, I'm not the new kid anymore. And how's this different from the Henley job? The security here's not even half as good! And I still don't see why we won't use the Open Wide?"

"Because, Nicky dear, There. Are. No. Windows. In. The. Display Hall," Gabrielle said condescendingly.

Hale rolled his eyes, and announced,

"We're landing in 5 minutes. Get your game on."


	4. The meeting

The restaurant was Italian and beautifully decorated. Taccone must have been itching for his local cuisine, Hale thought snidely. He glanced around the room, searching for the man who was going to ruin the Bagshaws lives soon. Speaking of which...

Hamish and Angus were flanking him, trying to look like professional muscle. Hale had to admit, with their bulk and their height, it shouldn't have been hard to mistake them for goons; but what gave them away was their nervous eye flicks.

"Here you go," Hale sighed as he passed them each a pair of sunglasses. The brothers slipped them on gratefully. Then they stiffened slightly.

Arturo Taccone was sitting in a quiet corner, a lit cigar in his mouth. Two men whom Hale recognised from the brief encounter he'd had with them, in a casino in the Sin City a long time ago, were stationed next to the criminal.

Bodyguards, Hale thought to himself. They looked the part too.

"William Weldon Hale the fifth, a pleasure to see you again. I see you have brought the boys with you?" Taccone drawled out.

"I have told you before Mr Taccone, that's not my name," Hale winced when the man tried to fill in his Ws. Nobody would ever be able to guess, and they really should stop trying. But he focused on the business at hand.

"What are your conditions Taccone? We'll get the paintings. Why the extra meeting?" Hale snarled.

"Ah you don't see Weston my boy, I needed to ensure you were on time, that you didn't try to run," Taccone smirked up at him. Hale scoffed.

"Run? I, or should I say we, never run."

"Yes, your little _crew _would finish the job, wouldn't you? You'd give me the paintings, and I'd let the boys' mother go, wouldn't I?" Taccone's eyes had turned cold. His once before peaceful face thinned into something alien, a monster. His eyes turned in black pits, empty of emotion, empty of _humanity_.

Hale fought not to shiver at the face of the madman. Because he _was_ a madman, a killer. He'd blown up fortresses, slaughtered innocents. He'd done everything ruthless in order to obtain things that weren't rightfully his.

"What are your conditions? What do you propose?" Hale struggled to keep up the façade, made it seem like just two billionaires talking shop.

"Nothing that you couldn't cooperate with. You give me the paintings; I let Ms Lorna Bagshaw go. Simple," the madman chuckled darkly. "Unless it's too difficult for you, Warner? Say if I throw in the fact that our little Katarina's family would be safer, would you be more motivated?"

Kat's family. Mr Bishop. Uncle Eddie. Gabrielle.

No. No, they weren't just Kat's family, they were his. They'd been his family from that first night when he'd followed his beautiful Kat back to the brownstone. They'd been his family from the moment he'd finished his first con.

Hale's blood was pumping in his ears. Hamish made an inarticulate sound. Angus just stood frozen.

Taccone smiled. He smiled as if he had the key to their hearts and he could unlock all their emotions, all their lies, all their histories. He smiled as if he knew what could make them cry "Uncle" and what would make them laugh. He smiled, as if he knew too much about them.

He knew too much.


	5. It's all about planning

Hale's flat was placed right next to the Victoria Harbour, overlooking its stunning view. Kat's room's windows were all facing Hong Kong Island. She had to admit, the night view was quite spectacular, but the noise that drifted through her window was a little overwhelming.

"It's pretty isn't it?" Hale murmured.

"So high. It's very high up," Kat muttered. She smiled as she looked down.

"That's good. There can be some distance between us- and the rest of the world."

"Just us…" Hale smiled and put his arms around her. "So, what's the game plan? Miss Mastermind, what should we do to get into the place?"

Kat frowned and led him out to the living room. She walked over to the coffee table where the floor plans of two different buildings were splayed out before them. Most of her crew, excluding Nick and Angus, were already sitting in various corners of the well-furnished, picturesque, big room. The Hales always went all out.

"It's simple, too simple in fact. The Hong Kong Museum of Art is nothing, compared to the Henley. Its security measures are basic, not as complicated as almost all of our "old venues"," she made air quotes with her fingers.

Gabrielle snorted, her distaste at such a simple job showing on her face.

"Nothing difficult," she grumbled. Kat glared at her cousin, but then was distracted by Angus and Nick coming in from the dining room. Satisfied that everyone was here, she continued.

"What's _difficult_, Gabrielle, are the paintings' transition to our next destination- the International Commercial Centre of Hong Kong. Our, er, recipient insisted on us handing them over there. Apparently he has arranged for the lot to be transported from there onwards," Kat winced at the vagueness in her words, but truth be told, she wasn't even sure who the recipient was. In fact, it was Hale's party. And that went on to say how much she trusted her… boyfriend. Just then, Simon spoke up.

"Um, Kat? How do we know what to do, if we don't even know who the recipient is? Also, you never really told us the backstory of our heist?" his voiced lilted up at the end of the sentence, making it sound like a question. Kat gestured at Hale with the unspoken "_You do the talking"_.

"First of all, Simon, this is my heist. I enlisted your help because I needed it," Hale spoke with an authoritative note. "The backstory is this: those calligraphy paintings, like the Angel back at the Henley, were never really the museum's. A business associate of my father's came to him, and asked for his political and financial backup on his plan to return those paintings back to the rightful owners. My father refused, but overheard them, and offered my- trademark services," he smirked.

"And why the ICC? Why would the man choose that place to leave the paintings?" Nick challenged him. Hale fought the urge to snap at him.

"Because he works there occasionally… it'll be easier to arrange transporting services from his workplace."

"Then why not use his so called "transporting services"? Why not transport the calligraphy paintings directly from a drop off at the museum?"

"He's been labelled, Nick, by the museum. They'll notice if a helicopter bearing the label of the one man who's trying to ruin the exhibits comes flying down next to the museum. They'd be on the guard for more trouble at the very least; or if they've noticed something's gone amiss, he'd be their prime suspect."

"Who is this guy? Do we know him? And I do get the fact as to why he wants to depart from his workplace, it'd be less suspicious. But what if the museum does get wind that the heist is connected to this "business associate" of yours? Wouldn't he be just so much easier to track down?" Joelle asked quietly. She seemed to be taking this all in stride, as if she'd been there when they'd started the initial planning.

"A lot of things are transported to and from the Centre every day. Maybe, Mr. Chung's helicopter departed the same day as his cargo ship and his jet plane. Which one was containing the paintings? Which reminds me, what's in it for you?" Hale scrutinized the kid. She shrugged and said simply,

"I forged a painting. My favourite forgery, one of my best. It's not one of the one's you're planning to steal, but it's in the same exhibit. Anyway, the museum took it, thinking it was real because nobody bothered to closely examine it. It wasn't real famous, just another piece of old work, so no experts or anything" she sighed. "But I want it back."

**Um, hi! This is kind of my first Author's note… first of all, sorry it took me half a year to update *grimace*. Secondly, I know it's all real confusing, with all my twisted ways of explaining things. So I'll retell it, simpler this time. Here's the real story, up till now:**

**The so called "recipient" is actually Taccone. He's got Mrs Bagshaw in his grasp, and is using it as a lever against Hamish and Angus. The Bagshaws came to Hale for help. Taccone went further by threatening Kat's (And Hale's) family to make sure they were compliant. **

**Kat doesn't know any of this. She thinks that Hale's doing this out of fun. What she knows (and the rest of the crew) is that a man wants some calligraphy paintings, and they're in charge of stealing, and delivering them to a heavily guarded building. Double jobs.**

**Then finally, the new kid Joelle (I still haven't gotten her backstory fleshed out enough) has ulterior motives to help them. For personal reasons, including a painting she painted which is in possession of the museum, she's participating. **

**Well, that was long. Thanks, and I hope you review! Sorry again!**


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